This invention relates to a pass-thru electrical connector assembly and more particularly to an environmentally sealed pass-thru electrical connector assembly having unsealed male terminals.
Automotive electrical connectors often engage and pass through barrier walls which separate a harsh environment from a controlled environment. Many applications exist including the housing of an automotive headlamp or the encasement of a control module. In a headlamp application, the barrier wall is the housing of the headlamp assembly, the controlled environment is the chamber enclosed by the housing, and the harsh environment is the engine compartment which is exposed to moisture, road salts, etc. The connector must not only engage the barrier wall or housing but it must also seal to the housing thereby maintaining the integrity of the controlled environment. The controlled environment must be maintained so that the electrical terminal connections within the connector are not subject to corrosion or failure from exposure to the harsh environment.
The connector body passes through a hole formed in or through the barrier wall. Typically, this hole is substantially round with circumferentially spaced slots disposed about the perimeter of the hole. When engaging the connector body to the housing, radial protrusions of the connector body align with the slots of the hole and are moved axially through the slots. Rotation of the connector body fixes the connector body to the housing axially. Additional means and features are incorporated to lock the connector body to the housing thereby preventing reverse or further rotation of the connector body which could lead to disengagement from the housing. Various sealing features are utilized to seal between the housing and connector body itself, and where required, to compress the seals between the mating surfaces.
Locking of the connector to the housing typically requires long radial lock-arms often seen on lamp sockets and mating lock towers molded into the parts. These long lock aims complicate the sealing methods which accompany the design. Also, the long lock arms are a source of several quality issues as variations and processing conditions cause minor shrink differences that effect final arm position. These features can complicate the design and overall tooling process, thereby increasing the cost of manufacturing. Moreover, complicated designs are often not robust and sacrifice the environmental integrity of the controlled environment or chamber within the headlamp.
A pass-thru electrical connector assembly is an integral part of a barrier wall which separates a harsh environment from a controlled environment. A connector body having a staged position and a locked position on the barrier wall has a flange which extends radially outward from one end of an axial projecting portion. Via rotation of the connector body from the staged position to the locked position, the projecting portion of the connector body moves axially forward through a hole of the barrier wall as a ring seal is preferably axially compressed between the flange and one side of the barrier wall. Axial movement of the connector body is achieved via a plurality of locking lugs which protrude radially outward from and are spaced circumferentially about the projecting portion of the connector body.
The lugs align circumferentially with a plurality of slots spaced about and communicating with the hole of the barrier wall so that the lugs pass through the slots when the connector body is initially inserted into the hole. A flex lock cantilevered from the projecting portion and disposed between two of the locking lugs bends radially inward, during initial insertion of the connector body into the hole, to engage a perimeter surface of the barrier wall which defines the hole and slots. Rotation of the connector body within the hole off sets or circumferentially misaligns the locking lugs from the slots, causing the lugs to ride-up upon an opposite side of the barrier wall moving the connector body forward axially. Simultaneously, the flex lock snaps radially outward into one of the slots preventing reverse rotation of the connector body and thereby locking the connector body to the barrier wall.
An advantage of the present invention is the prevention of accidental disengagement of the connector body from the barrier wall. Yet another advantage is the plurality of slots which serve a dual purpose, first, to allow insertion of the locking lugs, and second to provide a radially extending engagement surface for the flex lock. This robust design simplifies tooling design and manufacturing costs and insures a more reliable seal between the electrical connector body and the barrier wall.